2001 Audi S4

MY 2001 AUDI S4 WAS STOLEN IN SPRINGFIELD, NJ AND RECOVERED IN NEWARK, NJ. THE TOTAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY $8000. I BELIEVE THAT THIS THEFT WAS POSSIBLE LARGELY BECAUSE OF A SIGNIFICANT FLAW IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY, THE DOORLOCK MECHANISM IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE ALARM, INCLUDING THE MOTION SENSORS AND THE IGNITION KILL. THUS, A TINY HOLE PUNCHED IN THE DOOR TO UNLOCK THE DOOR SIMULTANEOUSLY LET'S A THIEF INTO THE CAR AND DISABLES THE ENTIRE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE LACK OF A TRUE IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM ON THE CAR CREATED A REPUTATION FOR THIS HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE THAT IT IS EASILY STOLEN AND NOW IT IS A PARTICULAR TARGET FOR THIEVES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW JERSEY AREA. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HIGH-SPEED JOYRIDES AND OTHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WITH STOLEN S4'S. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MOST AUDI'S FROM 2000-2002 HAVE THIS FLAW AND I BELIVE THAT AUDI SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND RETROFIT THESE VEHICLES WITH A SAFER ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM.*AK

I HAD JUST PURCHASED A 2001 AUDI S4 FOR CLOSE TO $40,000. WITH 1100 MILES ON IT MY CAR WAS STOLEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT APPROX 3 PM. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT THE FACTORY PASSIVE ALARM CAN BE TRICKED INTO THINKING IT HAS BEEN DISARMED. A SMALL HOLE NEAR THE DOOR LOCK GAINS ACCESS TO A ROD THAT WHEN LIFTED DISARMS THE SYSTEM AS IF A KEY WERE USED, COMBINE THIS ACTION WITH THE WITH REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION, AND THE VEHICLE CAN BE STARTED WITH A SCREW DRIVER AND DRIVEN AWAY. I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT VW/AUDI HAD THE TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO EQUIP THIS MODEL WITH AN ENGINE IMMOBILISER AS PART OF THE OEM ALARM SYSTEM. I'M AWARE OF DOZENS OF THEFTS OF THE AUDI S4 IN PARTICULAR AND AM READING OF MORE THEFTS OCCURRING WEEKLY. JUST DO A SEARCH ON WWW.AUDIWORLD.COM USING THE WORD "STOLEN" AND YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN THE NY/NJ METROPOLITAN AREA. I THINK AUDI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS GROSS OVERSITE ON THEIR PART AND OFFER A RETROFIT OF SOME SORT TO PROTECT MY INVESTMENT. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE FREELY ANYWHERE I WANT WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT IT BEING STOLEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS HERE. *JB

THE SECURITY SYSTEM OF MY 2001 AUDI S4 HAS A MAJOR FAULT. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TYPE OF IMMOBILIZER INTO THE SYSTEM MAKING IT EXTREMELY EASY FOR IT TO GET STOLEN. AN IMMOBILIZER IS A SYSTEM BUILT INTO THE COMPUTER/IGNITION SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE THAT DOESN'T ALLOW IT TO BE STARTED UNLESS THE KEY IS USED. I AM UNCOMFORTABLE PARKING IT IN ANY MAJOR CITY AND AS I LIVE NEAR NYC, ITS A REAL ISSUE. I HAVE A NUMBER OF FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR S4S STOLEN IN THE NEW JERSEY AREA IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. THIS IS A VERY LIMITED PRODUCTION CAR AND STILL MAKES THE TOP 25 MOST STOLEN VEHICLES IN ITS CLASS, THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT NOT ONLY HOW DESIRABLE IT IS TO THIEVES BUT HOW EASILY IT IS STOLEN. AN IMMOBILIZING SYSTEM WOULD NOT ELIMINATE ALL THEFT BUT WOULD REDUCE IT SUBSTANTIALLY. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD RECTIFY. OTHER CARS IN THE AUDI LINE UP FOR 2000 HAD IMMOBILIZERS SO THE COMPANY HAD EASY ACCESS TO SUCH TECHNOLOGY BUT CHOSE NOT TO INCLUDE IT IN THEIR 2001 MODEL YEAR A4/S4. I ALSO HAD A 2001 VW JETTA (SAME PARENT COMPANY AS AUDI) AND IT HAD AN IMMOBILIZER, THIS CAR COST JUST ABOUT HALF AS MUCH AS THE AUDI S4 SO ITS ABSURD. PLEASE HELP ME AND MY FELLOW AUDI A4/S4 OWNERS RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND HELP. *JB

MY CAR (2001 AUDI S4) WAS STOLEN IN LIVINGSTON NJ, AND RECOVERED IN IRVINGTON, NJ. THE CAR HAD A STOCK ALARM SYSTEM WHICH WAS EASILY BYPASSED. THIS CAR DID NOT HAVE AN IMMOBILIZER. OTHER MODEL AUDI'S HAVE AN IMMOBILIZER. $10,000 OF DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE CAR. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. CERTAINLY AUDI CAN RETROFIT AN IMMOBILIZER INTO THIS CAR BECAUSE THE SAME CAR IN EUROPE HAS THE IMMOBILIZER. *JB

AUDI OF AMERICA HAS NOT TAKEN SECURITY SYSTEMS ON THE AUDI S4'S SERIOUSLY. THEY HAVE BEEN MASSIVE KNOWN THEFTS IN THE TRI-STATE AREA AND THE LIST CONTINUES TO GROW. I HAVE SPENT OVER $800 FOR ADDED SECURITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPEND MORE IF I HAVE TO. I CANNOT SLEEP PEACEFULLY AT NIGHT KNOWING MY CAR IS PRONE TO EASY THEFT DUE TO IT'S INEFFECTIVENESS IN SECURITY PROTECTION. I FEEL IT'S A MATTER A TIME BEFORE MY CAR WILL BE STOLEN IN A MALL OR A SHOPPING CENTER OR ON A STREET OR EVEN IN MY OWN HOME. AUDI NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS IMMEDIATELY! *JB